White chocolate mousse

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This lovely white chocolate mousse is really very light and is perfectly complimented by this raspberry curd, which is sharp and balances out the sweetness of the mousse. Not to forget that it takes about 15 minutes (or less) to make.

Serves 4

Ingredients

100–125g of white chocolate (either buttons or chopped)
300ml double cream
75g caster sugar
250g mascarpone

Methods

  1. Melt white chocolate using a bain marie or in the microwave, being careful not to burn it.
  2. Whilst chocolate is melting, whisk the double cream with caster sugar until you get stiff peaks.
  3. Once chocolate is melted, beat in the mascarpone quickly – you need to be fast with this or the cold of the mascarpone will make the chocolate solidify.
  4. Fold the chocolate mixture into the cream.
  5. Divide between 4 glasses or bowls.
  6. Serve with a tablespoon of raspberry curd.

Chorizo and potato quesadillas

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This is another recipe that I think you don’t really need a recipe for (but I’ve given details of what I used tonight as a guide to amounts). Be creative with the ingredients – you could add chicken or bacon, or do a veggie garlic mushroom version (but this filling is a great use of leftover potatoes). This is gorgeous with sweetcorn and black bean salsa or some Mexican rice.

Serves 2

Ingredients

100g chorizo, cubed
½ red onion, sliced
300g potato, cooked and diced (unless using mashed)
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 flour or corn tortillas
50–75g grated cheese
Spray olive oil or olive oil for brushing

Methods

  1. Fry the chorizo in a dry frying pan until the oil starts to come out, then add the red onion. Cook until onion soft.
  2. Add the potatoes, fry until potatoes slightly browning (or just mix if using mashed potato).
  3. Remove from the heat. At this point you can store the mixture to use later if you like.
  4. Build your quesadillas by piling the potato and chorizo mixture onto a flour tortilla, then topping with grated cheese. Then fold over your tortilla and press down gently. Spray top with spray olive oil (or brush with olive oil).
  5. Heat a dry frying pan to a medium heat, add the quesadilla oil side down (cook 2 at a time), spray or brush oil on top.
  6. Fry for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown. If using cold mixture fry at a low heat for a bit longer to make sure heated through.

Caribbean curry chicken

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For recipes like this I don’t really think you need a strict recipe to cook a good meal, but you do need a starting point. I don’t usually follow a recipe when cooking curry chicken but tonight I kept a note of what I used so that I could put a recipe here.

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
4 tbsp caribbean curry powder
sprig of fresh or ½ tsp dried thyme
1 scotch bonnet chilli, kept whole for flavour or chopped finely for heat*
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 medium sized chicken thighs, skin on, excess skin trimmed off
½ pint water

Methods

  1. Fry onion, tomatoes, curry powder, thyme, chilli and salt in the vegetable oil for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. This will form a thick paste that will burn really quickly if you don’t keep it moving. The aim is to take the powdery and uncooked flavour away from the curry powder.
     *Scotch bonnet chillies have a really unique flavour. If you add them to your dish without puncturing them at all you can make a curry that isn’t too hot. If you add chopped scotch bonnet then you’ll end up with a hot hot curry.
  2. Add chicken to the pot, fry until golden brown on the outisde, stirring gently but constantly to stop the paste burning.
  3. Add water, bring to the boil.
  4. Simmer, lid off for about 30 minutes, until sauce starting to thicken.
  5. Put lid on and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Add more water if you need to.
  6. Serve with either white rice or rice ‘n’ peas.

Rice ‘n’ peas

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This recipe for rice ‘n’ peas is always a crowd pleaser. I first found the recipe by chileheads (whoever they are) on recipe source and, although it’s a bit different to any I’ve had anywhere else, it’s easily my favourite!
Please excuse the rubbish pictures, there’s too much steam and even these took a whole load of work to take!

Ingredients

1 can gungo peas (my favourite)/black eyed beans/kidney beans – or mixed, as I had to make do with today
1 scotch bonnet chilli (see note below if you don’t like it too hot)
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups long grain rice
1 can coconut milk
4 knorr chicken stock cubes (or vegetable stock cubes if vegetarian)

Method

  1. If you aren’t a confident cook then make sure you’ve done all the chopping and preparation before you start cooking as you shouldn’t really take your eyes off it.
  2. Drain beans/peas and reserve the liquid (unless you are using kidney beans, don’t reserve the liquid for them as it makes the rice stick even more).
  3. Heat the oil in a big massive pot over a high heat. Add the rice, and fry until the rice turns opaque and golden brown. Be really careful to keep an eye on this and not let the rice burn, that can happen really suddenly as the rice seems to store heat.
  4. Add the chile, garlic, and onion and fry for a few more minutes. Beware the fumes and stir lots!!!
  5. Stir the gungo peas and stock cubes in with the rice. Stir the absolute minimum you can to mix everything.
  6. Combine the coconut milk with the bean liquid. Add water to make 4 cups of liquid. Add to the rice and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to simmer.
  7. Cook uncovered until the liquid is slightly below the surface of the rice and holes form in the rice.
    Give everything a quick stir to try and lift anything that is stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  8. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
  9. Allow to sit covered for another 30 minutes.

Notes

  • I always have a layer of burnt rice at the bottom and am careful not to stir it in (although some of my friends like this bit best), there’s still loads of rice left unburnt.
  • If you don’t like it hot/spicy then put the scotch bonnet in whole, being careful not to puncture it at all … this will flavour the rice without giving it heat.

Beetroot chutney

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I’ve been meaning to put this recipe up since I posted my chicken liver pate recipe with a photo of the pate served with the beetroot chutney, which taste brilliant together and is why they both have the same photo. The recipe came from my Mum, from an old 1980s microwave cookbook (if you want the microwave recipe just let me know, but trust me, it’s no easier than this). There is nothing complicated about this recipe and it tastes really lovely!

Ingredients

2 large onions (about 350g), finely chopped
675ml malt vinegar
900g cooked beetroot, peeled and grated (boil the beetroot in it’s skin and uncut for about 90 minutes until soft; by not cutting the beetroot you minimise the amount of ‘bleeding’ into the water from the beetroot and it’s really easy to peel once it’s cooked)
1 small cooking apple (about 100g), peeled, cored and grated
225g raisins
350g soft brown sugar
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp pepper
½ tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground allspice

Makes 3–4 1lb jars

Methods

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a large, thick-based pot.
  2. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until the beetroot and onion are soft and you have a thick chutney.
  3. While the chutney is cooking, prepare your jars.
  4. Spoon the chutney into the prepared jars and seal.
  5. Store somewhere cold and dark. Once opened keep in the fridge.

Sesame brittle

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Another one for my Mum’s birthday hamper. She’s always loved sesame snaps so I made her some homemade ones. I was surprised at how quick and easy they were to make, although you have to give them plenty of time to cool down …

400g caster sugar
300g sesame seeds
margarine for greasing baking tray

Methods

  1. Prepare baking tray by smearing with margarine.
  2. Melt caster sugar in a sturdy wide-bottomed pan at a medium-high until you have a golden caramel. I’ve seen recipes where they say not to stir or to stir constantly … I really don’t think it matters. I tried not stirring it but started panicking that it was burning so stirred it and it was all fine in the end …
  3. Add sesame seeds to melted sugar.
  4. Very quickly but VERY CAREFULLY pour  the mixture onto the prepared baking tray. Spread out using a greased metal spatula. The thinner you spread it the easier it will be to break up later.
  5. Allow plenty of time to cool, preferably overnight. It will stay hot for much longer than you think.
  6. Break into pieces.

I sprayed the broken pieces with a fine mist of sunflower oil to stop them sticking together in the jar.

Sticky spiced nuts

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These nuts are similar to those you might get on sale in the street in the winter or in some bars, particularly in the states. You can vary the spices to your taste. Personally, I was pleasantly surprised at just how nice these turned out! Very very moreish! I was too excited by how nice they were when I made them and forgot to take a picture, then I packed them away to include in my Mum’s birthday hamper … I’ll put a nice picture of the finished product next time I make them!

Ingredients

450g mixed nuts (no flavouring) – I used pecans, brazils, almonds and cashews
½ cup granulated sugar
½ soft brown demerara sugar
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp aromat or other all purpose seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 egg white
1 tbsp water

Methods

  1. Mix sugars, paprika, allspice, aromat and salt.
  2. Try and get rid of any lumps of sugar by pressing with the back of a spoon.
  3. Whisk egg white with water until foamy  i.e. when you leave it to rest you shouldn’t see liquid collecting but it also shouldn’t be whisked so much that is forms peaks. You might be able to see a slight trail from my whisk in this photo …
  4. Coat the nuts with the foamy egg whites.
  5. Add the nuts to the sugar mixture, stir to coat.
  6. Prepare 2 baking sheets with baking parchment/greaseproof paper. Stick the paper to the baking sheet with a bit of egg white.
  7. Spread out the nuts then bake in a preheated fan oven at  150ºC for 30 minutes, giving them a stir half way.
  8. Allow to cool for 10–15 minutes (but not completely) before pulling away from the baking sheet.
  9. Allow to cool completely before putting them into an airtight container for storage.

Cookery measurement converter

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I always find myself needing to google conversion tables when using online recipes, be it for temperature, weights, liquids … whatever. So tonight I decided to make a cookery measurement converter that has all of them in the one place and here it is for you to download too!

Download cookery converter

Please feel free to let me know if you have any comments, suggestions or questions!

Caramelised red onion and feta flat bread

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So, depending on your own principles you’ll either consider this economical with time and a bit clever or cheating and sacrilege to all bread. Basically, I had it in my head that I wanted to make caramelised red onion and feta flat bread using red onion chutney. When I was wandering around Sainsburys I came across this Jusrol canned dough and thought “why reinvent the wheel?”, particularly when I had loads of other stuff to do today. You could always do this with homemade basic bread dough, I will when I have more time!

Ingredients

Jusrol white rustic loaf dough (or your own homemade basic bread dough, ready to go in the oven)
1–2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp red onion chutney
75–100g feta cheese
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

Methods

  1. Remove bread dough from the can.
  2. Roll or press out dough until about 1cm thick. You might need a little bit of flour to stop it sticking, but I didn’t. DO NOT be tempted to try and knead the dough together, it doesn’t work … trust me, I tried! I guess it’s called “Jusrol” for a reason!
  3. Put dough on a baking sheet that has been prepared by greasing with olive oil.
  4. Brush with olive oil, dot with the red onion chutney and crumble on the feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper. You might want to drizzle with more olive oil, which would be lovely, but I’m trying not to be unnecessarily unhealthy (I didn’t use the semolina that was supplied in the box, I’ll keep that and use it for when I’m making homemade bread another time)
  5. Bake at in a preheated 180ºC fan oven for 10–15 minutes until risen and golden. Be careful not to overcook as the feta might burn.
  6. Serve!